I never got to say goodbye...
by a twinkle in the night sky
Summary: Chichi died due to a heart disease, but her boys are upset because their father wasn't there. But what happens when Goku returns to earth, but with another young woman on his arm...


I DIDN'T GET TO SAY GOODBYE  
  
Chi Chi coughed raggedly as she struggled to sit up in her bed. Her once cheerful and happy face was now ghostly pale, carrying upon it the irriversible pain of a heart sickness she had only realised she was bearing. She was terribly thin and weak, her body shaking with a cold sweat.  
  
Her two sons, Gohan, now a young man with a family of his own and his younger brother, Goten, sat tentivly by her side, their eyes watching her every move.  
  
It was Goten who had discovered her that warm, sunny March afternoon, as he was returning from a day out in the city with his fiancee, Rebeckah. He had just dropped her off and had entered the door of his family home when he heard...silence. He looked around in confusion, his mothers car was parked out front and she had never told him that she was going out. The house was never like this. It was always buzzing. Whether it was the sound of food cooking in the oven, the vacuum running in lounge or his mother humming to a tune while reading a magazine. That's what he loved about the place. No matter what he had done, where he had been or for how long he had been gone, this was the one place where he knew he could always come. The one place where the most important woman in his life would always be waiting for him, arms wide open and a warm meal on the table. Sometimes, he couldn't understand his father for leaving all this behind. The warmth and safety of home is something that can never be compared to anything in the universe. But he always kept in mind that his father was doing this for the safety of the universe, for him, his brother Gohan and his family and mostly for their mother.  
  
Quietly, he placed his car keys down on the bench and took off his jacket, hanging it up on the coat stand beside the door. He immediately went on the search for his mother.  
  
"Mom, I'm home. Where are you? Mom, where are--" the youngest Son immediately lost his voice when he found his mother slummed up against the couch.  
  
"MOM!" Goten screamed as he rushed over to Chi Chi's slummed form. He immediately knelt down and checked her pulse like Gohan had shown him. He breathed a sigh of relief when he felt a heart beat. It was faint, but it was a heart beat none the less.  
  
Gently he picked up the petite body of his mother, one arm supporting her back and the other supporting her legs. He quickly rushed her upstairs to her bedroom and tucked her into the sheets. All that time, Chi Chi never awoke from her slumber. Goten quickly grabbed the cordless phone beside the bed and dialed his brother's number. Lucky, Gohan was the one who answered the phone, he really didn't feel like explaining the situation to Videl just yet. His older brother sounded tired. Either he'd had a long day at work, or Pan had knocked him out with her boundless energy.  
  
He quickly yelled at his brother to get his butt here, the urgency in Goten's young voice immediately told Gohan that there was something wrong.  
  
The doctor was the next to feel the wrath of the youngest son of Goku as he demanded the doctor to come as soon as humanly possible.  
  
Gohan arrived with Videl and Pan first. Videl went about fixing something for the squabbling Pan as her husband rushed upstairs to her brother-in- laws aid.  
  
The doctor was the second to arrive. After about 45 minutes of prodding and examining of Chi Chi he shook his head gravely at her sons.  
  
"I'm sorry, boys. Your mother's been struck down with a serious illness, I think it's something to do with her heart. And..." the doctor was interrupted by Goten, who was starting to shed tears.  
  
"..she's not going to make it, is she?" His brother watched as he tried to hide the tears and look as brave and grown up as he could, but it wasn't working.  
  
The brothers gulped as he shook his head.  
  
"N-no...I'm sorry. I think she's got about 24 hours, I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do for her.."  
  
Gohan sadly shook his head in acceptance. The two brothers shook the doctors hand and Gohan lead the old man out of the room, to the door. Goten remained standing where he was. The silence in the room was unbearable, so deathly quiet. He listened as his older sibling thanked the doctor once more and he heard the door close. His eyes began to water when he heard his sister-in-law inquire about their mother, he heard the graveness in Gohan's voice as he repeated what the doctor had said.  
  
He hung his head in pain as he heard Videl and Pan begin crying, Videl all the while yelling that it couldn't be true.  
  
"G-Goten.." the young demi-saiyan raised his head as he heard his mother's voice. She sounded tired and in a bit of pain. He immediately rushed to her side, all the time wondering what he could do. Chi Chi lied unmoving in her bed, all Goten could see was the steady rising and falling of her chest, but that was all he needed. That was the main thing that proved she was alive.  
  
"Go-Goten I...AAAHHHHHH!" Chi Chi let out a small scream as the pain ripped at her chest again. She gritted her teeth, small silvery tears appearing in the corner of her once beautiful eyes.  
  
"Goten what's going on?!?" Gohan demanded as he rushed into the room, Videl and Pan trailing behind.  
  
"G-Goten...take, take the pain away...please?!!" The ailing woman in the bed screamed as her eldest son entered.  
  
"Mom, no!" the oldest of the two rushed to her aid as Chi Chi gripped to the bed sheet, her head thrashing back and forth as if she was trying to run from the pain.  
  
Little Pan whimpered as she saw her beloved Grandmother in pain, her innocent face burrowing into her mother's jean leg.  
  
Gohan sensed the anxiety of his daughter with the sound of her cry. He quickly turned to his wife.  
  
"Videl, please take Pan outside. I don't want her to see mom like this, not now," Videl quickly nodded at her husband and scooped their little girl into her arms. She quickly rushed Pan outside to find her some toys or something to take her mind off what she had just witnessed.  
  
Gohan gripped his mother's hand within his own as Goten rushed back into the room with a damp towelette.  
  
"Her temperatures rising quickly," Goten muttered as he placed the cool material upon his mother's forehead. With the relief from the cooling towel, Chi Chi's body seemed to relax. She sighed as the pain slowly subsided.  
  
Her son's breathed a small sigh of ease as the immediate danger was over for the moment. Within them, they knew that she couldn't be cured, but they had to at least try. She had always told them that it was never over until the last person falls.  
  
"G-Goten-" Chi Chi whispered as her sons were about to sit down.  
  
"What is it mom? Do you need something, anything at all? I mean," Goten sputtered as he tripped out of his chair onto the hard wooden floor.  
  
His brother bent over and offered him a hand. With a small smile he patted his brother on the shoulder and whispered in his ear, "Goten, take it easy. Try not to scare her, just talk nice and slow and calm. Okay?" Gohan patted his brothers back again as Goten nodded and gave him a meek smile.  
  
"What is it mom?" Goten whispered as he sat down beside his mother. The sheets felt cool and comforting on his hands, which were feeling hot and clamy. As he took his seat, he tried to remember all the good times they had together. It simply made things worse to think of what could happen at any time now, he had to block out the negative thoughts. But one thing was bothering him, as it always did whenever one of them was in trouble or in need of help. His father, the almighty super saiyan, wasn't there. The man who had brought him into this world, wasn't standing there beside him offering guidance or words of comfort. He wasn't there holding his mother's hand or patting Gohan's tired back.  
  
His father was never there, so in a way he felt a little bit of enviousness towards Gohan. Many times he had sat and thought about how lucky Gohan was to have known their father. He spoke so highly of him, and it always made Goten cringe when Gohan recalled memories of Goku; how he use to take him camping, how they would train together and how they would just muck about in the fields before going home for a family meal. It was just so hard to think that his father in that way, especially since he didn't really know him. What made it even harder was the idea that his dad didn't seemed to really care about him, or mom or even Gohan any more.  
  
His little moods, as his mother began to call them, got him into a little trouble. The first couple of years after the World Tournament were the hardest. He lost his concentration in classes and his grades, which were normally pretty good, began dropping steadily. Chi Chi had asked him about this frequently. Many times she had found him sulking in his room and she would ask him what was wrong. He always replied nothing, but she was his mother and she was persistant. So when she finally found out what was bothering him, she was not only sympathetic towards him, she also told him that she understood. It was just as hard for her when he was gone, especially when he never kept in contact. She had so many memories, that it killed her inside when ever she thought about him.  
  
Together, mother and son would sit and talk, Chi Chi forever offering to listen and answer any questions. She was like a lifeline; a guide. She was what kept him hopeful, she was what kept him going.  
  
Goten smiled slowly as Chi Chi opened her big eyes and looked directly at him. She gently placed her cold, fragile hand upon that of her son and spoke.  
  
"W-what..did the d-doctor say?" She sputtered. Her dark, ebony hair laid lifelessly upon her pillow, the cold sweat causing some locks to stick to her thin face. "Tell me," she insisted.  
  
"H-he said that...." Goten sucked in a deep breath, Chi Chi keeping her eyes upon him. He hated being put in this situation, he hated the fact that he was the one who had to tell his mother that she was going to die in about 24 hours.  
  
Gohan sensed his brothers unwillingness to speak. He felt pity for the kid. Their mother was the only parent that he had only known, she had trained him, fed him, educated him and gave him every thing she could to make him happy. Now he had the responsiblity of telling the most important woman in his life she was about to die.  
  
Gohan spoke up.  
  
"Mom, what Goten is trying to say is t-that.." his once proud strong voice caught in his throat. He then realised how hard it was, how Goten had felt.  
  
He tried to continue, "..mom, your not going to m-make it. I'm so s-s- sorry."  
  
"You m-mean, I-I'm going t-to die?" She whispered quietly, her voice was hardly audible. The woman in the bed stared at her sons as they shook their heads in confermation. The news was surprising to her. She'd felt fine that morning, then when she collapsed on the floor from a strange pain within her chest, her mind began doing back flips, she remembered nothing except for the sharp pain in her chest and in her back as she fell awkwardly to the hard wooden floor.  
  
The three Son's; mother and two sons sat in an awkward silence, that was until Chi Chi spoke up.  
  
"G-Goten..please," she pleaded as Goten's droping frame once again sat up with a start.  
  
"G-Goten, go to D-Dende's place," she whispered hoarsely as her son listened intently. "A-ask him to speak to K-King K-Kai. Ask Kai to bring G-Goku home. P-p-please.."  
  
"But mom," Goten stuttered as Chi Chi once again winced in pain. "What happens if you d-die if I'm not h-here. I would never f-forgive myself.."  
  
Chi Chi smiled patiently at her young son. She had noticed that he had inherited so many traits from his father. Not only his strength and 'Super saiyan ability', but also his compassion and willingness to put others first. And to think that he had never actually meet and gotten to know his father.  
  
"Goten, I-I'm not going anywhere, for the time b-being. U-until your f- father is here, I-I am going to stay put. I p-promise you."  
  
"But mom.."  
  
"Goten, please, just do as she says. She's never broken a promise to you before. She's your mother, just grant her this one last wish, you know she would do it for you.." Gohan whispered in a harsh tone.  
  
"Alright, I'll go. Just promise me you'll be okay, mom?" Goten gripped his mothers hand tighter with his last words. Chi Chi simply smiled in reply.  
  
"I'll come home as soon as I can, Gohan," Goten stated bravely.  
  
"Just make sure you bring home good news, little bro," Gohan replied with a nod.  
  
And with that, Goten flew out of the window and disappeared into the distance.  
  
~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@  
  
"Please King Kai, keep trying. My mother wants him home," Goten screamed as he talked through the telekinetic link Dende had opened up for him.  
  
"I'm sorry Goten. He just won't respond, I'm trying as hard as I can..." King Kai tried to track the saiyan in the universe, but couldn't sense him anywhere.  
  
"Well, then try harder," Goten murmered through git teeth and unshed tears. His throat was feeling sore and uncomfortable from all the tears he had cried and curses he had yelled while flying to Dende's lookout. Now King Kai was stating the words that he never wanted to hear, the words that he never thought would come.  
  
"I'm sorry, I can't..." King Kai took in a deep breath and relaxed his strained body. "I can't get in touch with him."  
  
"I see," Goten whispered. "Thank you for trying."  
  
"Goten, please remeber that just because he's not here in body, it doesn't mean that he's not here in spirit," Dende placed a comforting hand upon the young semi-saiyan's shaking shoulder. Goten's bowed head lower to hide the tears that he was silently weeping.  
  
"Thank you," the boy whispered as he began to walk away towards the edge of the lookout. He sighed as he flew back down to earth to tell his mother the heartbreaking news.  
  
~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@  
  
"Goten, what happened? Is dad coming?" Gohan's voice broke through the young man's barrier of thoughts.  
  
Goten looked down at the ground sadly as Gohan rushed over to his brother who was standing beside the opened door. Chi Chi was sleeping softly in bed as Gohan looked over his tired brother. He was about to ask again when Goten fell to his knees, his young body shaking with tears. Gohan stopped dead in his tracks in front of his brother, his sudden break down answering his question.  
  
"No," Gohan whispered as Goten shook his head. "Are you telling me that dad is not coming home?!?" His shrill voice became louder then what he had wanted, making Chi Chi turn over in her bed.  
  
"K-King Kai told me that h-he couldn't find him. I told him t-to keep trying, but..." Goten sputtered as Gohan knelt down beside him, his large arms comforting his upset sibling in a warm hug.  
  
"Shhhh...it's alright. You tried," the oldest of the boys whispered.  
  
"I know, but what will mom say?" Goten pulled out of Gohan's embrace and looked deeply into his older brothers eyes. "It was her final wish, she wanted dad here. She needed him, and yet I couldn't get him..."  
  
"Goten please don't think lke that. Mom will understand. I promise, okay?" Gohan stood up and offered his hand to Goten. The brothers stood up and wondered over to their ailing mother. She seemed calmer and relaxed, even though her boys could feel her pain.  
  
"How has she been?" Goten whispered, one hand clutching his mothers and the other checking her temperature.  
  
"Alright. She asked Videl and Pan to come in one at a time so that she could talk to them privately. She's talked to me, but she passed out before she could finish. But I know what she was going to say, so it isn't so bad. Now it's your turn, well, when she wakes up, of course," Gohan sat down on the seat across from the bed.  
  
With the sound of her son's conversation, Chi Chi awoke from her deep slumber. Their faces were grave and sad when they realised that she was awake and looked over at her. She was about to ask about Goku when Goten noticed. His eyes looked down at the bed sheet and he slowly shook his head, conferming the truth.  
  
"No mom, he's not coming home. We couldn't find him," Gohan muttered as Chi Chi's eyes began to water slightly. Like Goten, Gohan's eyes drifted down to the floor. It pained him whenever he saw his mother like this. He knew that his father had caused her a lot of emotional pain throughout the years, even though Chi Chi never chose to show it in front of her son's. If their father had been there for her at that moment, all those things could've been forgiven and forgotten. But instead, it had made things worse.  
  
The adult demi-saiyan let his head rest within his hands as the pain of a head ache rushed through his brain.  
  
Chi Chi saw the pain of her son's and wished at that moment that things could have been different, that she wasn't putting them through this. She slowly drifted back into sleep as the thought of her sons pain ingulfed her mind.  
  
~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@  
  
For Gohan, that night was the hardest night of his life. Chi Chi slept soundly for half the night. Both he and Goten did night shifts to watch her. Goten took the first shift until 12:00 then it was Gohan's turn until morning.  
  
As Gohan watched over her, he could hear her weeping in her sleep. He knew that the tears where from their fathers absence. He wished that he was here at that moment, there was so much that Gohan felt his father could do, if not healing her illness at least giving her the reassurance that he would be there.  
  
Chi Chi tossed and turned, from the pain and what Gohan made out to be nightmares. She would mutter things like 'Goku, no' and 'please don't leave me'.  
  
The fear rushed through him even more when he saw his mother gasping for breath and coughing. He quickly did CPR and sighed as her rasping breathing settled down.  
  
He covered her up gently as she shivered absentmindedly and nudged her head deeper into the pillow.  
  
~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@  
  
The next morning was the most difficult one that either brother had either faced. Their ailing mother was growing weaker and paler by the hour. Then one time where Gohan was out of the room, Chi Chi beckoned for her youngest son to come to her side. Goten took his seat beside his mother and listened carefully to what she had to say.  
  
"G-Goten, sweetheart. Your a man now and...and I want you to know t-that, I have always b-been and always will b-be proud of you. Darling, I-I want y-you to always remember that y-you are and always will be my special little g-guy, and.." Chi Chi sputtered as she coughed raggedly. Goten offered his hand, but Chi Chi insisted that she was okay. "P-please remember that I-I love you m-more then you will ever know, and I-I promise to be within your heart w-whenever you need a friend or help, n-no matter where you a-are." And with that, Chi Chi began coughing raggedly, the signs of her illness a little bit more obviousness.  
  
"Gohan, Videl! Get up here I think it's time!" Goten screamed as Chi Chi began gasping for air.  
  
Gohan and Videl raced up the stairs at the sound of Goten's call. Little Pan was still asleep in her uncles room, they decided not to awake her.  
  
"Mom, please, talk to me!" Gohan insisted as he knelt beside her bed. Chi Chi didn't respond for a moment, causing Gohan to hang his head in defeat.  
  
Chi Chi continued to sputter as her children held their breaths, waiting for the moment at which her life would be taken from her.  
  
"T-tell your father, that...I-I love him..." her weak hand sharply grasped at her bedsheet, her tormented head thrashing back and forth.  
  
"I-I...love..y-you," she gasped as she took in her last breath of life. Her frail body shook with her last gasp of air.  
  
"No mom, wait...I love you too," Goten yelled as he noticed the sudden limpness of his mother's body. She was gone.  
  
"No..no...NO!!!" Goten screamed as he burrowed his head into the bed sheet. Videl was sobbing in the arms of Gohan, who in turn also had tears streaming down his cheeks.  
  
It was a dark day in the life of the Son family, but a more darker day was yet to come...  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
5 YEARS LATER....  
  
Goku looked worried. This was the hardest thing he was ever going to do, but he was quite sure that that after it was over, life would return to normal. But it would be a long time until that. He looked over his arm and smiled at the young woman standing behind him. She looked calm and relaxed unlike the man standing in front of her.  
  
"Ziarin, I don't think I can do this," he whispered as the stunning blonde walked confidently over to him. She took her hand and moved Goku's head until they were gazing deeply into each others eyes.  
  
"Goku, you know what you have to do. I'll be here for you I promise," and with that, she sealed the promise with a brief kiss on the lips.  
  
"Your right," he said, looking out the window of the spaceship that was moving towards the earth. The planet was within view now, Goku sighed as he tried not to think of what awaited him there.  
  
As the ship sped through the burning atmosphere, Goku started packing his knapsack, for his long awaited return to earth.  
  
ELSEWHERE...  
  
"I can definately feel it, but are you sure it's Goku?" Krillin sat up in his seat as the original Z fighters gathered upon Kami's island. His yellow trackie pants and red t-shirt flowed gently in the cool sea breeze. He was currently on a morning jog with his wife 18 when he felt the strange, yet familiar power level coming closer and closer. Reacting to instinct, he rushed to Kami house, and was soon greeted by his long time friends, Vegeta and Bulma.  
  
"I'm positive. That power can only belong to one man," Vegeta landed beside the short man and patted him on the shoulder. "Are you nervous about seeing him? It's been over 14 years since we saw him last."  
  
"I guess so, but I wonder if he knows about.."  
  
"Chi Chi?" Bulma quietly interupted as Krillin nodded.  
  
"Well, he should," Vegeta stated looking around. For once, Vegeta looked 'normal' to everyone. He wore a pair of 3 quarter board shorts and a baggy yellow skate shirt.  
  
He continued. "Once a saiyan has joined with his mate, it's forever. They can feel each others pain, happiness and practically whatever they are feeling. Except.."  
  
"Except what, Vegeta?" 18 asked, curiously, her blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail and her light blue training top and pants clung gently to her well toned curves.  
  
"Except for when their loyalty bond has been broken," Vegeta murmered as the others looked at each other with interest.  
  
"Do you mean like, if Goku were to, for instance, sleep with someone else, even if it was just a one night fling, that their bond would be broken?" Bulma asked, her arms crossed her chest as she tried to get the records straight.  
  
Her husband nodded. There was a brief silence when Krillin started laughing. The others looked at him with interest, trying to find out what was so funny.  
  
"What is it Krillin? What's so funny?" Master Roshi asked walking out of Kami house carrying a box of two dozen bottles of soft drink and alcohol.  
  
"Just the thought of Goku with another woman, it makes me laugh to think of him like that," Krillin explained between laughs. The others caught on slowly, also joining in with his laughter.  
  
"Hey guys, what's so funny?" A familiar voice called out from in the air above them.  
  
All heads turned upward as the realisation of who it was sunk in. Smiles turned into broad grins as the familiar being slowly hovered in the sky then gently floated to the ground.  
  
"Goku, your finally home," Bulma said with a joyful smile as she ran to hug the huge man standing in front of them. He was wearing his familiar orange gi and his face was covered with that memorable cheeky grin.  
  
"Welcome home, Goku buddy," Krillin added as he shook the hand of his childhood best friend. "It's good to have you home."  
  
"Thanks guys," Goku smiled and then looked around the crowd. "Hey, where is everyone else? I would have thought they would all have been here. What about Chi Chi? I seriously need to have a talk to her..."  
  
The whole group exchanged looks as the once happy smiles drifted from their faces, now they were looks of concern. It was Roshi who spoke up first,  
  
"Goku, are you telling me that you don't know about Chi Chi?" Roshi looked quizzingly at Goku, who simply stared back in confusion.  
  
"What are you talking about?" He started scratching the back of his head. His friends didn't respond as Bulma leant over to Vegeta.  
  
"Vegeta, I thought that you said it could only be broken if.."  
  
"Goku?" The voice of a petite young woman interruped Bulma's inquiry to her husband.  
  
"Ziarin," Goku exclaimed happily as the young woman landed next to him. All the eyes from the group where upon her as she gently floated and landed on the ground. Master Roshi was surprised at the sight of the young woman, but, like usual, he started drooling and giggling giddily. It wasn't until he saw the stares and stern looks from the others that he calmed himself down.  
  
"I guess that answers your question," Vegeta smirked as Bulma began turning red, ignoring her husbands comment. She watched in wonder as Goku planted a small kiss upon her cheek, the young girl, who didn't even look any older then Videl, smiled back sweetly.  
  
"Goku," the woman with the pacific blue hair known as Bulma asked, her voice tried to remain calm, even through the rising tension from the group was making everybody unsettled. "Who is that?"  
  
Goku looked over at one of his childhood friends, in her eyes he could see anger, frustration and a little bit of confusion. He didn't really know what to say. Through the entire 3 months that it took to get here, he had been reheasing what he was going to say to each of them. His friends, his children and more importantly, his wife.  
  
"Ummm..guys, this is Ziarin, my, uhhhh...fiancee," the final word of his sentance came out in a whisper as his friends jaws dropped at his announcement. No one knew what to say in return. They never thought they would ever see Goku, the most pure and trust worthy person in the world, with any other woman but his wife.  
  
"Y-your f-f-fiancee?" 18 practically choked on her ginger beer when she heard what Goku had just said. She stuttered as Goku slowly nodded.  
  
"Yes," the young female nodded then looked up at the giant saiyan beside her. Her light green eyes shimmered in the bright sunshine as she swept a lock of her blonde hair from her youthful face. She wore a fighting outfit similar to Goku, except the top was a holter neck and instead of pants she wore a skirt.  
  
"Ummm...Goku. I hope you don't think of me as insane, but you were a married man with two sons. Ummm..how can you possibly be engaged to her?" Krillin asked quizzingly, his eyebrow rising as his best friend tried to explain.  
  
"Well, see....that's what I came to talk to Chi Chi about. I want to..." Goku was interrupted by Bulma, who was stalking her way up to the saiyan.  
  
"No Goku," she murmered through clenched teeth, while grasping his gi pulling his face into the view of hers. "I don't want to hear it. Chi Chi was one of my bestest friends. Whatever you have got to say now, you are not going to say it here. No one wants to hear it, YOU GOT THAT?!?"  
  
"Wow woman. I love your fire," Vegeta looked impressed at his wives power within her fury. Bulma didn't seem to take the compliment well, instead turning sharply at Vegeta, glaring the whole way.  
  
"Shut up, Vegeta," she screamed as compassionate tears flowed from her light blue eyes. "Now is definately not the time to hear about your 'saiyan hormones'. Save it for later."  
  
As Goku watched Bulma's reaction, something about what she had said was bothering him.  
  
"Ummmm..Bulma?" Goku stammered. He looked scared as Bulma turned her attention to him, eyes burning with pain and fist clenched tightly. He had never seen this side of her before, even as they were growing up, with all the stupid things he had done, none of it compared to this.  
  
"What?" Bulma stammered, her tone of voice immediately dropping. All of a sudden she seemed depressed, vunerable. She sounded broken, afraid and insecure.  
  
"About what you said before. I mean, what did you mean when you said 'Chi Chi was one of your best friends'? Did something happen between you two?" Goku slowly walked towards Bulma who had gone deathly pale. Her bottom lip began to tremble as tears once again filled her eyes.  
  
"Bulma - what's wrong?" Goku put a comforting hand upon her shaking shoulder. For a brief moment the island was quiet except for the sobbing from Bulma. Vegeta, noticing his wives anguish, knelt down beside her and wrapped her within his arms. He rocked her slowly, planting gentle kisses upon her head and quieting her with whatever words of comfort he could think of.  
  
"Vegeta, what's wrong?" Goku stammered as he let husband and wife comfort each other. Vegeta looked up at his comrade. Goku silently gasped as he noticed Vegeta's shimmering eyes. He didn't answer. Again the island became quiet.  
  
"Will someone please tell me what the hell is going on here?!?" Goku yelled as the pain stricken faces of his friends turned away from him. Like Bulma, 18 began sobbing quietly, Krillin trying his best to comfort her. 18 was mumbling something under her sobs, something like 'how could he not know', but Goku couldn't exactly make it out.  
  
Only Master Roshi was left still standing firm. Goku's keen eye sight picked up a gentle sparkle from under the sun glasses. Something had upset his friends, or someone. And whoever or whatever it was, it was surely going to pay.  
  
"We can't tell you Goku. Not us. But..I know someone who can," Roshi beckoned for Goku to follow him into the house. Goku gently took Ziarin's small hand and lead her into the house of which he knew so well.  
  
Slowly, Roshi picked up his phone and dialed a number. He beckoned Goku and Ziarin to take a seat as he took the phone into the kitchen. A couple of seconds later he could hear his old master talking slowly to someone.  
  
"Yes, I know."  
  
"But there is so much that you need to tell him."  
  
"I can't. Only you can, please say yes?"  
  
"Okay, I'll tell him. He'll be there in half an hour. Okay goodbye."  
  
And with that, Goku heard the phone cut connection. As he was wondering who was just on the receiving end of the phone, Master Roshi walked slowly into the lounge room. He placed the phone back onto the coffee table and sat down on a chair in front of the couple, head in hands. They sat in silence for a moment when Goku inquired about who was just on the phone.  
  
"Mmmm?" Roshi was startled, he quickly awoke from his deathly trance. "Oh, who was on the phone just then? Just a special someone who will fill you in on what you missed and need to know. I told him that you would meet him in half an hour at the Starburst Cafe at Maroon City, about 5 minutes from here. I think that what he had to say is very important, especially to you..."  
  
Goku sat puzzled for a moment wondering who it could possibly be, when Roshi interupted his thoughts.  
  
"Well, what are you waiting for? You'd better get going."  
  
Goku nodded as he stood up offering Ziarin a hand, but Roshi stopped him.  
  
"Goku, I think that you'd better leave your new girlfriend here. I really don't think that she will be very 'warmly welcomed' in this conversation..."  
  
"Hey!" Ziaran stood up with a start and raised her hand to stop Roshi from talking. "Goku and I are a couple now, and as a couple we have to face challenges together. I'm going."  
  
"But..."  
  
"No buts Master Roshi. She'll be okay, she's with me," Goku stated confidently with the smile of which usually gave his friends confidence upon him. However, this time it was different.  
  
'It's not her that I'm worried about' Roshi thought sadly. 'It's the boys that truly worry me. God only knows how they'll react.'  
  
"Okay, bye Master Roshi. We'll see you soon," Roshi was again knocked out of his thoughts by Goku's voice as the couple stood and headed for the door.  
  
As he watched them disappear into the distance, Roshi muttered a silent prayer.  
  
"Please Dende. Help Gohan and Goten to keep their emotions in check and take Goku's news lightly. I know how hard this is going to be for them, but please keep them safe. I beg of you."  
  
~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@  
  
Goku breathed in deeply as the cool sea breeze swept across his regal face. Beside him, Ziarin took in all of the scenery around them as they flew, it truly was a beautiful planet. It was no wonder Goku chose this place to grow up and raise his family.  
  
His family.  
  
She shook her head as the thoughts of Goku's breaking wife and children when they told them the news of their relationship. Ziarin felt sorry for them, but it was for the best. That way Chi Chi could move on with her life as could her sons, and she and Goku could be together, fighting evil across the universe. In a way, she felt like she was doing Chi Chi a favour by ending all of her heart break.  
  
Goku was flying low when he saw something that tingled in his memory. He signaled to Ziarin to stop over there, ahead of them was a gorgeous house which Goku had definately not forgotten.  
  
They landed on the gentle grass in front of the house, memories already sweeping through Goku's head as Ziarin approached him from behind.  
  
"Goku, what is this place?" she whispered in curiosity.  
  
"This...this was my home," he gently replied. "My families home. Me and Chi Chi raised our family here, we had planned for this home to stay in our family for a very long time.."  
  
Ziarin sighed as she watched Goku but something caught her eye. "Well, I guess it once was, but not anymore," she stated with with a another sigh.  
  
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Goku wondered over to his fiancee who was reading a sign planted in front of the capsule house.  
  
"For Sale?? This can't be right. Why would my house be up for sale?" Goku stuttered as he read over the sign over and over. "It must be some kind of a prank."  
  
"Afraid not, Goku. No one lives here anymore," Ziarin looked up at the house. All the windows and blinds were closed and locked and there was no sign of life within the house at all.  
  
"Maybe you should ask your friend about it? You know, the friend we're going to meet?" Ziarin suggested as they started to fly again.  
  
"Mmmm, I might. Come on, let's go!"  
  
~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@  
  
STARBURST CAFE  
  
Goku gently pulled the seat out for his young fiancee. He smiled sweetly as she took his hand and kissed it gently. He couldn't think what life would have been like if he had never met her. They had been together for over five years now, to him it felt like five of the best years of his life. But deep within he felt guilty. He had left his rightful home, telling the family that he loved so much that he was going to train and he would come back as soon as he was ready. Willingly, they promised to wait. Now, he had fallen in love with another young woman of whom he met in space. A woman who had captured his heart.  
  
"So Goku," Ziarin watched Goku as he took the seat directly in front of her. "Do you know what or who we're looking for?"  
  
Goku's eyes narrowed as he tried to think, "Well, no, not really. But I am quite sure we will know who this person is when we see him."  
  
Ziarin smiled and nodded as the couple relaxed and waited for their guests.  
  
Goku's mind sprung to attention when he felt a familiar ki coming closer. He stood up with a start as he sensed the person entering the cafe. He looked out over the busy crowd, his eyes scanning the room. Then, he saw him.  
  
A young man with black hair and dark brown eyes. He looked in his middle 20's and had a strong muscular build. He wore dark sunglasses covering his eyes and a baseball cap upon his head. A black tank top and baggy navy blue jeans gave him the cool, relaxed appeal.  
  
Ziarin's eyes followed the gaze of her fiancee and her eyes two rested upon the young man standing beside the door. She was quite taken back by what she saw. Like Goku, this person felt so familiar.  
  
"Is that him, Goku?" She asked curiously.  
  
"I think so," Goku looked away slightly as the man's gaze fell upon him. He removed his dark shades in surprise, then began advancing upon the adult saiyan.  
  
Goku was stunned when the young man came face to face with him. Even though he was young, he was practically Goku's height. In a gentle voice he spoke.  
  
"So you're the one who Master Roshi sent," his voice was deep, yet afraid and unconvinced. Goku could see an uneasiness in his eyes as the young man looked over him in interest.  
  
"Yes, we are. I'm guessing you're the one who Master Roshi was speaking to about half an hour ago," Goku bagan to sit down as the young man nodded.  
  
"Well, please young man. Have a seat?" Ziarin smiled sweetly as she offered the man a seat. He again nodded, but didn't smile.  
  
Goku spoke up once more, "Please, before we get started, I wish to know one thing?" Goku looked curiously at the stranger as he beckoned for a waiter, immediately making himself at home.  
  
"Yes, what is it you wish to know?" He turned his attention back to Goku. Goku could see that his eyes were upon him, but he could feel his attention was elsewhere.  
  
"Who..who are you?" The young man twitched uncomfortably as Goku continued to babble on. "I mean, I sensed your life force coming through the door just a minute ago. It feels so familiar to me, yet I don't know why..."  
  
The man took his eyes away from Goku as he cleared his throat, "Well, you should know me. We've done more then just meet, although it sometimes doesn't feel like it."  
  
"Sirs, Madam. What is it that you would like to order?" A male waiter in a neat shirt and slacks approached the table. The young man smiled meekly at him before ordering.  
  
"Ummm...Frank, I think I'll just have the usual," the stranger replied.  
  
"Yo, Gee," the waiter looked back in surprise. "Hey man it's you. I haven't see you in ages, how've you been?"  
  
"Not bad Frank," the dark haired boy replied modestly.  
  
"Hey that's cool. We'll talk later, okay? Now what do your delightful friends wish to order?" Once the two other orders had been taken, the waiter scurried off, leaving the three alone again.  
  
Goku once again turned to the boy, but was startled when the young man's attention was no longer on the conversation. He looked curiously as another young man, about late 30's or so approached the other boy. The embraced with handshakes and shared a brief conversation, before he too pulled up a seat to the table.  
  
"Now, who are you?" Goku looked confused. Master Roshi had told them that they were only meeting one person, not two. The other man, who looked a great deal like his friend looked at Goku shocked.  
  
"Y-you mean, you don't remember me?" The handsome stranger looked hurt and was staring intentivly at the saiyan. Not the most ideal way to begin a conversation.  
  
"Have we met?" Goku muttered, eyeing the man, who, like his friend, felt oddly familiar.  
  
"I can't believe, y-you don't remember me?" The angry man slammed his hand upon the table, a small trickle of tears flowing from his eyes. "Damn it! Has it really been that long?" He quickly tightened his fist, then looked sorrowfully at Goku, "I'm your son.." He whispered.  
  
"You m-mean you're..." Goku stuttered, nearly falling out of his chair.  
  
"I'm Gohan," the oldest of the men muttered, clenching his fist to his heart. "Don't you remember..."  
  
"Gohan?" Goku muttered slowly shaking his head in understanding. He looked at the young man, his son, standing across the table from him, eyes pleading with him. He didn't recognise him, had it been that long. Had he been away long enough to forget his own son. His own flesh and blood. He had grown up. He wasn't a boy anymore, he was a grown man.  
  
"Then, who are you?" Goku pointed his finger the the guy beside him, who in turn, began staring strangly at Goku. Angrily, he stood up from his seat and turned away from the people before him. Not taking a second glance, he exited the cafe.  
  
Gohan, upset with the sight unfurling before him, shook his head and placed it in his hands. With a sad sigh, he rubbed his weary eyes then his tired neck, as if he had been in a 10 hour conference.  
  
Goku sensing his sons stress and anxiety, turned his attention to him. This little conflict was truly upsetting his first born, and he wanted to know why.  
  
"Hey Gohan, why did he do that? What did I say?" Goku asked Gohan who was now standing, watching the sliding doors to the cafe. He let out a relaxed sigh as he saw his young friend re enter, his eyes not making contact with anyone.  
  
Gohan looked over at his father, his eyes again filled with hurt, "I don't blame him for what he did," he stated quietly. "I think I would have done the very same thing."  
  
"What-" Goku murmered as Gohan rushed over to his young companion, gently patting him on the shoulders as he led him back to the table.  
  
Gohan sensed the immediate tension between the two men, then ushered his friend away.  
  
"Hey bud, why don't you go and order me something. I'll have a little chat to...you know who," Gohan whispered as he used his eyes to signal Goku. The young mans throat had become dry as he nodded slowly, happy to be away from the situation for a while.  
  
As he left for the counter, Gohan returned to the table. His father immediately wanted to know what was going on.  
  
"Gohan, please tell me who that young man was?" His father was now pleading with him.  
  
"Dad," Gohan sat down patiently. "Tell me, how much do you remember?"  
  
"How much do I remember? Well, there's your mother, and you and Bulma and Vegeta and who could forget Krillin, and..." Goku was immediately interrupted by Gohan who was shaking his head with every word.  
  
"God damn it, dad!" He screamed, slamming his hands down on the small table, making its contents shake and gathering a few weird looks from other costomers. Gohan ignored their stares and continued. "Come on, dad. How dense are you?"  
  
"What are you talking about?" Goku looked quizzingly into his son's dark, angry eyes.  
  
"That man over there," he stated through clenched teeth as he pointed to the youngster sitting at the counter ordering his food. "Can't you damn recognize your own son when you see him?"  
  
"Son!" Goku and Ziarin looked at each other in shock. Gohan continued.  
  
"What kind of father forgets his own son? Dad, that's Goten." Gohan's words tore right through his fathers heart as Gohan watched his younger sibling at the counter. His tensed body relaxed when he realised that Goten had heard the whole conversation. He saw Goten's entire body slump as he retraced his words.  
  
He quickly rushed over to his brother as he saw him shake.  
  
Goku watched in amazement and disbelif as the siblings comforted each other. But apart from feeling shocked, he mainly felt guilty. He couldn't believe that leaving for a few years could effect him in such a way as he forget his own children. Goku was left feeling ashamed and contrite as the brother's came back to the table.  
  
As Goten and Gohan regained their seats, the group remained in silence as Frank the waiter arrived with the food and drinks they had ordered. Goku, distracted by what had just happened, realised that he didn't feel very hungry anymore.  
  
The group silently picked at their food until Goten broke the quietness of the table.  
  
"So-" he said quietly, looking over at Ziarin who had looked up at Goten's voice, even though he had not directly addressed her. "Who are you?"  
  
"I'm..well," she looked over at Goku who was looking directly at her. "Goku sweetheart, do you want to tell them?"  
  
Goku was about to answer but was interrupted by Goten shaking his head in disbelif.  
  
"Wait...wait a second. What did you just say? Did you just say Goku SWEETHEART? Are you like long lost siblings or something? Because I don't see anyother reason you should be addressing my father like that." Goten looked from his father and this new woman in suspision.  
  
"Goten, settle down will you!" Goku yelled above his son. With Goku's sudden outburst, Goten shrunk back but still giving his father confused and pained looks. But Goku felt as if his second son knew. With all the uneasy and strange smiles he and Ziarin were exchanging, it was half obvious. Goku grabbed the seat he had just knocked over and retook his seat beside his fiancee.  
  
"Well, dad. Please explain? I would like to know the answer to why she addressed you in the way she did?" Gohan put down his coffee and looked at his father, eyebrow raised, ears awaiting an explaination.  
  
"Now both of you," Goku looked sternly at his sons, the boys truly intruiged in the fathers sudden lack of confidence.  
  
"Spit it out dad. Come on, we're not little boys anymore. We demand that you tell us what is going on!" Gohan leant his head on his elbow as Goten expressed his growing frustration.  
  
"Alright, if you really want to know. Her names Ziarin and, well, we were waiting for your mother, but it obvious that both of my sons are a little impatient. The truth is," Goku took in a deep breath as he struggled to get the finally words out. "The truth...is that she is my fiancee."  
  
The jaws of both men practically hit the floor as Goku leant over to Ziarin and placed a small kiss upon her delicate lips. Angry tears rushed to the eyes of the brothers as Goku looked to them for their co operation.  
  
"So what do you think?" Goku asked as Goten and Gohan rose from their seats, fists clenched and eyes blurry.  
  
"How long has this been..going on?" Gohan asked through clenched teeth.  
  
"Ummm...about five years," Ziarin answered quietly. She could feel the tension between father and son's, and to think that she was in the middle of it.  
  
Goten looked as if he was going to say something, but instead did not, and as he did before he marched right out of the cafe. Goku, determined not to lose his youngest son again followed directly behind him, with Gohan and Ziarin in pursuit.  
  
"Hey!" Goku called, grabbing Goten by his arm and turning him to face him. Goku was shocked as he saw the upset tears of his son. "Where do you think your going?"  
  
Goten's response was supposed to come out strong and courageous, but instead came out quite the opposite. "Am I-I supposed t-to...a-are you telling m-me that I have to call her m-m-mother?"  
  
"Well," Goku released his son and stood back, giving Goten some air. "I am going to marry her and I am your father, so I think that that is your only option." Gohan and Ziarin stood back in silence as father and son duked it out.  
  
Goten looked away from his father, "No," he whispered quietly.  
  
"What did you say?" Goku put his strong hand under his son's chin and raised his face so that his eyes looked directly into his own.  
  
"I said," Goten took in a deep breath as he prepared himself for what was about to come. "I am not going to call her my mother. She is not going to come into my family, at least while I'm around. I have only one mother and that's the way it will always remain. Nothing you do will ever change that, you hear me? Marry her if you want, but if she comes into your family, then I'm out of it! Not that I was really in it to start with!"  
  
And with that Goten stared deeply into his father's eyes then turned away. Gohan's voice caught in his throat as Goten began to weep again. He knew that this was hard, and what Goten had said came truly from the heart. The young man stood up proud and walked away, not waiting for his father's response.  
  
Once Goten had gone, Goku withdrew from his deadly trance. He had never thought he would ever hear those kind of words from his family. The family that he had sacrificed somuch for.  
  
Slowly he turned back to Gohan and Ziarin.  
  
"I can't believe he just did that!" Goku screamed, the anger building up within. "How disrespectful was that...and to think, he's my son!"  
  
Gohan finally spoke, his fathers uncourteous response to his clearly upset brother finally getting to him.  
  
"I can't believe how disrespectful you are!" He screamed, finally letting all the bent up feelings out. "You call yourself his father, how frigin' insensitive is that. I was more of a father to him then you were, and I'm his brother. I was the one who held mom's hand when she gave birth to him, I was the one who changed diapers and fed him. I was the one who did the shopping, and had to babysit when ever mom was sick or out. I was the one who trained him and held his hand on his first day of school. I helped him with his homework and took him out camping. I did all of this, and I was still a teenager." Gohan clenched his fists and shut his eyes tight as if to hold in the stinging tears.  
  
"If you could only understand what that poor kid has been through these last few years, then maybe you would come close to understanding. You missed out on his entire childhood. You made no efforts to call, no visits, no nothing, even with your 'instant transmission' or whatever you call that little disappearing trick, that could wisk you here in about five seconds. And now you turn just turn up and expect him to just run to you with open arms? And to add to that, you bring back a woman that we've never met before, claiming that you're going to break up our family that was bearly holding together as it was, by saying she's going to marry you! That she is supposed to become our mother, when you were bearly a father. You know, sometimes I even wonder if I truly am your son. The father that I knew along time ago would never do this to his family. Goten...he is your son, dad, your son. You never came to wish him a 'happy birthday' or a 'merry christmas'. You never gave up a single day during the last 15 years to take him camping or to the amusement park, when instead you were falling in love with this young woman, and you were a clearly married man! What means more to you dad, your fighting or your family? You say that your fighting for your us, but what's the point when you can't even remember our names or what we look like. Come on dad, answer me that?!? You seem to have answers for everything else...come on?"  
  
When Goku didn't respond immediately, Gohan turned away from his father, tears shimmering in his eyes. He felt as if a ten tonne boulder had been removed from his shoulders, the feelings and words that he had been holding back all of those years were now out in the open, in the ears of the man who needed to hear them the most.  
  
"Gohan," Goku whispered through the tears. He had no idea how to answer his son. His words had the most powerful effect on him. In one way, Goku was angered by his son's disrespectful outburst, but in another way, he knew Gohan was right. He had created a son on the night of the Cell games, a child which he assured himself was made out of love. But did his family know that? More importantly, did his son know that? He realised that he never told anybody this, and he surly wasn't helping the situation by avoiding and not visiting. Gohan was right, he never sat down with either of his son's and explained why life was as it was, in a way, he simply expected them to know. But, that was just the way it was, the safety of his family always came first, he knew that. The protection of his wife and two sons were always his first priority, but was Gohan right? Was there no point of fighting when you don't even know your family?  
  
"Listen dad," Gohan whispered, taking out a piece of paper and writing something down. "This is my phone number and address. If you need to talk, just give me a call." Gohan didn't seem very enthusiastic about giving his details to his father, but he felt it was the right thing to do.  
  
"Thanks Gohan," Goku whispered, folding the paper and placing it in his pocket. "But can you tell me something else before you go? Why was the house for sale?"  
  
"It's for sale because, no one lives there anymore," Gohan whispered quietly as Goku shook his head.  
  
"I realised that, but why...hey! I know. Gohan, how can I get in contact with Chi Chi? Do you have her address?" Goku looked on in curiosity as Gohan wrote down something else on another piece of paper.  
  
"Here, you'll find her here. You've gotta look carefully, or you'll miss her," Gohan smiled meekly at his father as he gave him the note and opened the door to a sleek black sports car.  
  
Goku was too inticed with the car to even look at the note which he had just received. "Wow Gohan. Is that really your's. She's beautiful."  
  
"Thank you. I worked hard to buy her," Gohan started the motor, and in a flash and a small wave was driving off into the distance.  
  
"Well Goku," Ziarin approached her fiancee from the side. "Your boys took it a little harder then what we expected, didn't they?" She smiled slowly as Goku nodded.  
  
"Well," she took the note from Goku's hands and took a look at it. "I think we should go and see your wife. Once we've got her acceptance, nothing will stand in our way. What do you think?"  
  
Goku nodded again as he and Ziarin lifted off into the sky and began flying, in hope to find Chi Chi.  
  
~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@  
  
"Okay, this is where the address says to land," Ziarin took a glance at the paper and then at the area in front of her. The couple quickly landed, but there was something about the place that made Goku uneasy.  
  
"Hey Ziarin. Are you sure that this is the place, I mean where's the house? How can someone live here without a house?" Ziarin followed the saiyan to the edge of the property. The land was situated of a cliff over looking the sea. The sun was setting in the distance and Ziarin snuggled up to Goku's body as her fiancee tried to check if they were in the right place.  
  
"There is no mistake Goku. This is definately the place that your son wrote down. But hey, look on the bright side, what a wonderful way to watch the sunset," Ziarin took the hand of the saiyan beside her and pulled him down to sit beside her. Goku smiled and looked out over the water. This scene seemed so familiar to Goku, as if it was a memory. Then it suddenly clicked.  
  
As Ziarin sat by his side, Goku's mind started to wonder astray.  
  
His mind took him back into his past, about 30 years or so ago.  
  
He sighed as the fresh sea breeze filled his senses, the reflection of the setting sun on the water bringing a calmness and tranquility to his soul. He smiled gently as he saw the love of his life, his wife, the warrioress who captured his heart, Chi Chi. To a young boy who had been brought up on eating bugs and riding dinosaurs, it seemed strange in his head. But deep within his chest, in his heart as Bulma called it, while in one of her 'love struck' moments, it seemed so perfect, so right. Now the pure amazon princess was dozing lightly against his chest as the newly wedded couple watched the beauty of the sunset. It was then that Goku made a promise to himself that life was going to always be like this.  
  
Goku shook his head as he tried to remove the memories from his head. But no longer had those memories gone, did newer, more familiar memories take over.  
  
Goku was laughing as his one year old son, Gohan, was trying to stand up in his wives lap. Chi Chi was smiling broadly as Gohan gripped her index fingers in a death grip. His youthful face was all smiles, plauged with the only worry of when his next meal was coming. As Gohan fell back down on the seat of his pants, and another look of determination swept over his babish features, Chi Chi turned to her husband. Then, life was perfect. Chi Chi gently placed a kiss on her grinning husbands lips. It wasn't air that called for their attention, but their son who had begun to whimper. Chi Chi placed a small kiss on his forehead and handed him to Goku. Goku swept his son up into his arms, which immediately calmed the little boy down. He began to doze lightly as Chi Chi moved closer to her husband. With one arm around his wife and the other around his son, Goku and his family watched as the glorious sunset unfurled before them.  
  
It was Ziarin moving from under his arm that broke his concentration on the day dream. The blonde smiled sweetly as she walked off to have a look around. Goku continued to relax, but it wasn't long before a more recent vision appeared before his big black eyes.  
  
"Hey dad, do you think we can win tomorrow?" A blonde haired Gohan asked his father as the two earth warriors looked over the horizon. "I have to admit, I am nervous about the Cell games tomorrow."  
  
"It's okay Gohan, I promise we'll be okay," his father reassured him. "All you've got to do is believe that we can win and remain positive."  
  
"Dad," Gohan's young voice this time came out quieter then before. It seemed he was scared of something. Goku wrapped his strong arm around his son's shoulders as he encouraged him to continue. "Promise me something, okay?" Gohan looked back over the water as his father nodded. "Promise me...that we'll both come home alive tomorrow. I lost you twice, when you battled with uncle Raditz and then after Freeza, I'd never want to feel the way I did then ever again. Please, promise me. It means everything."  
  
Goku smiled meekly at his son in reply as Gohan beamed back with, what seemed to be a agreement to the deal. "I promise."  
  
"Goku!" The youthful voice of Ziarin broke through Goku's day dream. He wiped his teary eyes as he looked over at his fiancee. He had finally figured out why this place seemed to familiar. This was the place where he took Chi Chi, and later Gohan to watch the sunset. They would do it often, perhaps once or twice a week, and with this place only came good memories. But now he was brought back to reality as Ziarin was off investigating something.  
  
"Goku honey. I think you should come here," she whispered slowly, a little bit of sadness in her voice. Goku spun around and saw her over by the old apple tree. She was looking at something at the base, and eventually Goku's curiosity got the better of him.  
  
"What is it, Ziar..." Goku gasped as Ziarin stepped back from the tree, revealing a small gravestone. There was writing upon it that Goku was trying to desifer, but couldn't, for the tears were blurring his vision. He immediately knew who's gravestone it was. For the first time he wasn't clueless about what was going on around him. That was why there was no house, that was why Gohan had sent them there. This was the resting place of his wife. It was Chi Chi's grave.  
  
Ziarin saw her fiancee's immediate pain, his shocked expression. She knelt down beside him, watching him bury his face in his hands.  
  
"Oh god," he whispered.  
  
"Goku, do you want me to read it to you?" She whispered, laying a caring hand upon his muscular shoulder. His body shook from the upsetting situation, she had never seen him like this. Goku sat down on the seat of his pants as he wiped away the emotional tears that were beginning to form around his eyes. He looked to her, his face was now stern not upset. He nodded slowly as Ziarin looked back at the grave.  
  
"Here lays the body of Son Chi Chi. Beloved daughter of the late Ox King, loving wife of Goku, the supportive and devoted mother of sons, Gohan and Goten and daughter-in-law Videl and doting and tender grandmother to her granddaughter Pan. Died suddenly on the morning of March 15 with her sons by her side. Will be truly missed by all who knew her, and..."  
  
"That's enough," Goku whispered as the tears he was trying to hold back started to leak from his eyes and a sudden pain rushed through his chest.  
  
"But Goku, I..." Ziarin was interrupted by Goku grabbing her hand and looking deeply into her eyes.  
  
"We need to go and see Gohan. There is so much I need to know, and I feel he wants to tell me..."  
  
~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@  
  
DING DONG!!  
  
The door bell rung loudly as Goku and Ziarin waited upon the doorstep of a magnificent townhouse. Goku's mind was racing as he thought about what he had just discovered, but he was able to calm himself down as he reached his oldest son's doorstop. Both were stunned at the beautiful home, and it took all of Goku's courage to even stand on the door step. Both warriors were to caught up in the thoughts when they saw the door slowly open.  
  
"Hello?" Goku wheeled around to see a little girl, around 7 or 8, looking at them from behind one of the magestic doors. She wore an orange bandana over her head, a red and yellow t-shirt and 3 quarter jeans.  
  
"Ummm...hello, little lady. We're here to see Son Gohan, do you know where we can find him?" Ziarin peered down at the little girl. The youngster peered back at her and then at Goku.  
  
Goku, on the other hand was intrigued by the little girl. Her straight black hair and gorgeous ebony eyes, helped Goku draw to a conclusion. She looked so much like Chi Chi, this must be Pan, Gohan's little girl. But if she was Gohan's daughter, then that meant that she was his granddaughter. He smiled gently at the little girl, but his attention was drawn else where when he heard another voice.  
  
"Pan honey, who's at the door?" A female voice from behind the large mahogany doors asked. The little girl, Pan, rushed inside and was immediately replaced by a very beautiful young lady. Like the little girl before her, the black haired woman was also dressed very casually. A yellow tank top, denim jacket and a thigh length skirt totally changed Goku and Ziarin's first impression of the family.  
  
"Just a man and a lady. They want to see daddy," Pan replied from behind the woman's legs. She smiled as she raced into the house. The young woman smiled gently at the visitors as she beckoned them inside.  
  
"Come in, Gohan's in his study at the moment," she picked up a discarded teddybear off the floor and lead them down a long, beautifully decorated corridor, lined with paintings and framed photographs.  
  
"Are you Gohan's wife?" Ziarin asked politly. The young woman, who looked in about her early 20's laughed softly and shook her head.  
  
"Oh no, not me. The lady of the house is currently attending to something upstairs, I'm just looking after the rugrats," she turned and faced the couple.  
  
"Rugrats?" Goku and Ziarin asked in unison. They were suddenly interrupted by a herd of children racing down the hall. The lady shook her head in defeat as she called out to the children.  
  
"Hey kids, take it a little slower will you. You might kill someone racing down the halls like that."  
  
"Okay!" The children chimed sweetly as they darted into a room. The sound of laughter and squeals were soon heard as the lady rolled her eyes and shook her head.  
  
"I just hope they remember what their father said..." she mumbled as they turned down another large room. Goku gasped at the room in awe. Huge tapastries hung from the elegantly painted walls and a humungous staircase exhadurated the size of the room, leading up to another hallway, and yet more rooms.  
  
As they began their ascend, Goku turned to their guide.  
  
"So, those children. Are they all Gohan's?" He asked in complete awe and wonder. He had never considered a family having that many children, it just made him wonder what kind of a father Gohan was. A small feeling of neglect settled within himself. 'He must be a better father to his children then I was to Goten and him.'  
  
"Oh, only half of them," she replied absentmindedly, snapping Goku out of his thoughts. "Gohan only has four, but I'm quite sure he wants more. He's just so good with them, I think he spoils them too much".  
  
Goku laughed quietly as they came to the first door of the second floor.  
  
"Well we're here," the young woman announced, knocking on the door of the study.  
  
"Yes?" A familiar voice asked. The young woman replied that a man and a woman were requesting to see him. With his agreement, she opened the large doors and lead them in.  
  
As she shut the door behind them, Goku and Ziarin were left standing alone in the huge, elegant room. Gohan had certainly done well. A large fireplace lit up the room in a warm haze, giving the couple a good chance to look around. Books lined the walls of the room, and statues and items of great value sat on elegant little tables around the room. Gigantic portraits covered the walls, but it was a certain oil painting situated above the fireplace that caught the attention of Goku. It was a painting of his family. The family he had left behind. Chi Chi was seated in the centre with Pan, who looked about 2, sitting happily upon her knee. Chi Chi's face, along with her granddaughters were lit up brightly. Happy, youthful smiles covered their faces. Goten stood to Chi Chi's right, a proud and regal smile was written on his teenage face, his hands placed upon Chi Chi's shoulders. To Chi Chi's left stood Gohan. A young woman, whom Goku guessed was Videl, was standing in front of him, Gohan's hands were placed gently upon her waist. Goku was so deep in his analysing thoughts that he never heard Gohan enter the room.  
  
"Well, hello. I didn't think that I would see you again so soon," Goku wheeled around to see his son standing in the doorway to another room. Goku smiled at his casually dressed son, wearing baggy black track pants and a blue hawaiian shirt. The three stood in silence until Goku spotted something behind Gohan's leg. A little boy dressed in blue shorts and a yellow shirt. He looked about 5 and was gripping onto Gohan's pant leg. Gohan noticed the attention the little boy was receiving from his father. He gently put down the book he was carrying and swept the child into his arms. He slowly approached Goku and Ziarin, smiling meekly at them. He then turned his attention to the shy little boy within his arms.  
  
"Dad, I want you to meet my son Carver. Carver," Gohan turned to his father who wore a bewildered look upon his face. "Carver, I want you to meet my dad. This is your grandpa."  
  
The little boy and Goku exchanged strange looks as Gohan smiled broadly. Slowly, Gohan placed the child on the floor and placed his strong hands upon his shoulders.  
  
"Hey kiddo. I need to have a chat to my dad, so could you go out and play with your brother and sister. Let this be our little secret, okay?" The child grinned broadly as the two shook hands.  
  
"Promise daddy," the child then raced out the door and soon the sounds of laughter and squeals could be heard.  
  
"That's a beautiful little boy you have there Gohan," Ziarin complimented as Gohan watched on in pride. Goku didn't say anything, instead turning his attention back to the painting. Gohan noticed his father staring up at the portrait and placed a hand upon his shoulder.  
  
"It's beautiful, isn't it? Rebeckah, Goten's wife painted it for us," Goku looked at his oldest son who was pondering on something.  
  
"Goten's married?" Gohan turned to his father and started laughing.  
  
"Yeah, but only after he got his girlfriend pregnant. I warned him, but hey, he made the right decision in the end. Now he's the proud father of three beautiful kids and another one on the way. But you should have seen his face when Becky told him she was pregnant..." Gohan started laughing, but the laughter was soon cut off, when he saw his father's face. It looked pained, vunerable and guilty.  
  
Gohan immediately noticed what was going on, instead, he tried to change the conversation topic. "Ummm...do you guys want a drink?" They shook their heads. When Gohan finished pouring himself a drink, he finally noticed Goku and Ziarin standing in the centre of the room, looking strangly awkward and out of place.  
  
"Ummm...sorry. Please...please take a seat," Gohan beckoned for them to take a seat on a sofa situated in front of the roaring fireplace. Once everybody was seated and comfortable Gohan looked to his father. Goku was looking around the room, Gohan guessed that it was the sense of being in such finery 'scared' Goku. He wasn't surprised.  
  
"What do you do for a living, Gohan?" Ziarin inquired as she eyed all the finery around the room.  
  
"I'm a doctor. I know it sounds pretty big, mum pushed me forward in my studies right after the Cell games. Back then," Gohan chuckled as he remembered. "I really despised what was happening in my life. I wanted to be a warrior, a fighter just like my dad. But now I realise that what she was doing was making sure I was going to be secure in my life. She wanted me to be happy, and not have to worry. I am so greatful to her. Now, I have a nice home, a beautiful wife, four gorgeous kids and the reassurace that they will always be looked after."  
  
Ziarin nodded in understanding.  
  
"So dad, do what do I owe this visit? I'm quite sure that you didn't come here to pick curtains or a free meal," Gohan cocked an eyebrow as he took a sip of the alcohol. Goku looked up into his son's eyes, father and son regarding each other without words.  
  
"Why.." Goku stuttered. "W-why didn't you tell me C-Chi Chi was dead?"  
  
Gohan placed his drink down and looked at his father sincerly as Ziarin hushed Goku for beginning the conversation in the way he did.  
  
"Goku," she said firmly through clenched teeth. "Why did you ask that straight off, did you..."  
  
Ziarin was cut off by Gohan raising his hand to silence her, Ziarin immediately doing so. "No, it's alright. Dad," Gohan turned to his father once more, "are you sure you want to hear it?" Goku nodded.  
  
"The truth is dad, that we did try and contact you. In fact, it was mum's last wish that you be there," Gohan slowly picked up a picture frame which was sitting on the coffee table beside him. He looked at it sadly and passed it across to his father. Goku's throat suddenly went dry when he saw the picture. It was a photograph taken sometime after Goten had been born. Chi Chi was sitting in a white hospital bed, gently cuddling a little buddle in her arms. Gohan was grinning wildly as he sat beside his mother on the bed, one arm wrapped around her shoulders. The two looked happy and content, but there was something missing in the photo. Goku.  
  
The saiyan slowly passed the photo to Ziarin to investigate as his attention came back to Gohan, who had gone back to his drink.  
  
"But why didn't you contact me?" Goku asked, trying to get some more information out of his eldest son.  
  
"As I said before, dad. We tried. Mum begged Goten to fly to Dende's and contact King Kai. She knew about the link you two shared and hoped that Kai would be able to reach you. Unfortunately, and it continues to bug me, why you never responded," Gohan put down his glass and buried his weary head in his hands. Goku leant forward as to try and hear him better.  
  
"That night," Gohan continued, "was the worst night of my life. Not only were Goten and I told that our mother had less then 24 hours to live, but when we had to tell her that you weren't coming home, I could feel everything she was feeling. I could see her pain, her fear, the loneliness and more importantly, she had a look of betrayal on her face. And it was then, that I truly understood what she had gone through these last 30 or so years. Every time each one of us had left her, and each time that you died, it was like we were adding another scar to her already tormented body."  
  
Goku had tears in his eyes as Gohan looked at him. When Gohan's eyes caught his own, a feeling of understanding swept through his tired body. Immediately, his saw flashbacks of battles; the time he died fighting Radditz; fighting Vegeta and Nappa; Namek with the Ginyu's and Freeza; his heart virus and taking his son to do hard core training within the room of spirit and time; the battles with the androids and the his death against Cell; Buu and every other painful memory that had lead up to this point. Each one accompanied with the pain. It was although he was finally seeing things through Chi Chi's eyes. He felt the agony and worry his beloved wife had experienced. The tears she had cried each time he left and each time he died. The concern that came each time their young son; their only son; was taken into battles in which he could be killed with the flick of a finger. And yet he felt the small amount of pride that came each time they had saved the universe from the destruction of an evil doer.  
  
"D-did she ever say anything to you...a-about me?" Goku's eye's shimmering eyes lit up as Gohan slowly nodded his head.  
  
"Yes, she did say something but it wasn't much. Before she died, she talked privately to each one of us- Goten, Videl, me and even little Pan," Gohan whispered sadly, but meekly smiled at the mention of his daughter. "She always took pride in Pan, loved her like her own. I know she would have loved to have meet her other grandchildren, but unfortunately the heart virus had to come first."  
  
"She died of a heart virus?" Ziarin asked, putting down the picture frame she was looking at, the one Goku had just handed her. "You mean like Goku's?"  
  
"Worse then dad's virus. It came a lot more quicker and was a lot more severe on her body. It was like watching some one die of a gun shot wound in slow motion. The rasping breathing, cold sweats, delusional and talking in her sleep, burning chest pains. It was scary, far worse then any battle I have ever been in, even though I knew the outcome. And there were times in which I didn't know what to do, but I knew I had to be strong. For mom and for Goten and my family," Gohan rose from his seat and walked over to the fireplace. He gently rested his head upon his arm as he leant over fireplace. He pulled to poker out of the holder and prodded at the burning ashes. Goku arose from his seat as well, but didn't dare invade his son's personal space. He could tell it was a painful topic to talk about and gently sat back down again.  
  
The three people sat in silence until Gohan decided to continued, his voice came out shaky. "Just before she died, mom said to us to tell you that...she loved you so much, dad. I know that there was more to be said, so much that she wanted to tell you. But those three words, I know that they're not much, but I guess they summed it up." Gohan allowed a dry laugh to escape from his throat as Goku looked away, pained and again in great distress.  
  
"What did she tell you?" Goku whispered through freshly shed tears. Ziarin tried to comfort him, but he gently pushed her away. Gohan looked thoughtfully at his father as he retook his seat.  
  
"She told me that, she loved me. She told me that even though many things had kept us apart throughout the years, that she was proud of what I had accomplished and what I had become," gentle tears began to stream down the semi-sayian's cheeks as he looked up towards the ceiling, taking his eyes away from his father. "She told me that I was so much like you, not only with my physical strength and looks, but my spirit and compassion, my commitment and righteousness to put others first, to stand for what is right. She told me that she would always be there, and would never leave me."  
  
Goku watched as his son expressed himself, trying hard to relive his mother's final words and to keep himself from having a mental break down.  
  
"Never," he whispered, "have I felt so hopeless. All my years I have trained myself to reject pain, to remain firm and strong. But none of my training has ever or will ever be able to try and contain the emotion and pain I went through during those slow 20 hours. You train all your life to save the ones you love, but what about now. What about then. My mother lied dying in her bed, and there was nothing that I could of done to even take away a little bit of that pain. The pain that I know I had partly caused."  
  
Ziarin and Goku watched in horror as Gohan collapsed from the sofa onto his knees, tears flowing rapidlly from his dark eyes. All of sudden, Gohan felt like a little boy. The scared, vunerable little boy that he thought he had left behind a long time ago. He had never really opened up to anyone, not even his wife or his brother. It felt as if a 20 ton boulder had been lifted off him. He felt free, relieved but most of all, scared. Not only had he definitely announced his one weakness, but he felt as if he was truly understanding himself. Feelings and emotions, that, not even he knew were there, had finally been released. Slowly, he regained his composure, and sat back down on the seat. After wiping away the tears he walked over to a small intercom beside the fireplace. Goku, who had also regained his composure sat and watched intentively as a female voice responded over the intercom.  
  
"What is it Gohan?"  
  
"Could you bring Videl, Goten and all the kids into the study? Oh, and bring youself as well."  
  
"Why, is there something wrong?"  
  
"No actually, there's someone up here that I want you to meet."  
  
"Okay, we'll be right up."  
  
"Okay, thanks."  
  
"What was that Gohan?" Ziarin asked placing a hand on Goku's knee. She had been very tentitive throughout the conversation, speaking only when the occasion called for it.  
  
"You'll see. Dad, there are a few people I would like you to meet," Gohan smiled as three adults and seven children entered the room. Goku and Ziarin remained seated as Gohan wandered over to the group. He gently whispered something to a raven haired beauty, who was carrying a young child, no older then 1 year, who was wearing a light blue jumpsuit, in her arms. As she smiled and nodded Gohan placed a gentle kiss upon her lips. He wrapped one arm around her shoulders and lead her over to the fireplace with the rest of the group following. As the group advanced upon them, Goku scanned the group. He saw Goten at the end of the group. He wore a training outfit and looked as if he had just come out of the shower. In his arms was another little boy, blessed with his father's black hair and cuddling a ragged teddy bear. He looked shyly at the adults in front of him from behind the bear as Goten watched him smiling. Beside him was the young woman they had met before, Goten's free arm was wrapped around her waist. This must be Becky, and by the looks of things, he could tell she was pregnant, probably about 3 months. At their feet were five children, three boys and two girls. All of them were endowed with their parents black hair and ebony eyes. Gohan smiled at his father as Goku and Ziarin stood up to greet the family.  
  
"Dad, I think it's time you met your family. As you've probably guessed, this is my wife Videl. Her father was Hurcule, you know," Gohan watched as his father's face came up clueless. "The one who attempted to take Cell on at the games. You know, the high and mighty martial arts champion of the world." Gohan smiled at Videl as Goku regained the face of knowledgement.  
  
"It's a pleasure to meet you Goku. Your sons and Chi Chi told me a great deal about you, that was, before she died. I take it you know about that, right?" She meekly smiled as Goku nodded slowly. The group was disturbed by a wimper from Videl's arms. Goku looked down warmly as he saw his grandchild awaking from it's sleep. How he had missed watching that.  
  
"And this tired bubba is Mia. She's only 6 months old, but she's as alert as they come, aren't you sweetheart?" Gohan cooed as he picked up the dozing child within his arms. He placed a gentle kiss upon her forehead, then handed her to Goku. The old saiyan was surprised at first, and Gohan couldn't help but laugh as he noticed this.  
  
"It's been a long time, hasn't it dad?" Goku blushed as he relaxed with the cooing child within his arms. His granddaughter.  
  
"Hi grandpa!" A cheery little face exclaimed as she ran up to Goku, who had decided to sit down. Goku recognised her immediately. It was the little "Chi Chi look-alike" who he and Ziarin had met at the door.  
  
"Why hello, I'm guessing your Pan," Goku smiled as the little girl nodded excitedly then hopped on the seat beside him.  
  
"That's my baby sister, you know. She eats a lot, but doesn't like spinach, just like me. She's a cutie pie, aren't ya?" Pan leant over the baby and started tickling her on her chubby little tummy, earning baby smiles and giggles from the infant.  
  
Gohan watched on happily, but the sudden actions of his son's caught his attention.  
  
"Hey you two! What has daddy told you about touching that?" He gently scolded, lifting the two boys up, one under each arm. The little boys squealed with delight as their father put them down in front of their grandfather. Placing a gentle, yet strong hand upon each shoulder, Gohan spoke as Videl and Becky took a seat opposite Goku and Ziarin with Goten coming up behind and gently massaging his wives shoulders.  
  
"Well dad. Here's two little chaps who are enrolled in your martial arts classes. You've met Carver," Gohan ruffled the hair of the oldest of the two earning him silly faces from his oldest son. "And this little rodent is Spike," Gohan stated playfully as Videl gave him a gentle slap across the arm.  
  
"Hello boys," Goku said, a hint of pride in his voice. He smiled as the boys gave him a shy hello before rushing back to their mother. Watching his son's return to Videl and seeing Becky and Goten beside her, he began introducing the other half of the family.  
  
"Well, all the left overs are Goten's family," Gohan laughed as Goten smiled sarcastically at his brother. "No seriously. Dad, you've met Goten, well this charming young lady is Becky. I take it you've already met." Goku placed Mia back in her father's arms and shook hands with Becky who was standing and supporting her slightly buldging stomach.  
  
"And this little memeber, we haven't quite figured out whether it's a boy or a girl yet," Videl stated, placing her hand upon Becky's tummy and smiling. She looked up in surprise, "hey Beck, I felt him kick."  
  
Becky smiled, but then raised an eyebrow, "him?"  
  
"Yes, I predict that your fourth child will be a boy," Videl leant back as Becky turned to Goku and Ziarin.  
  
"I don't think so. I think it'll be a beautiful little girl. Goten asked the other night," Becky smiled and turned to her husband who was grinning as their son was dozing in his arms.  
  
"How do you know that?" Ziarin asked, as Pan rose from her grandfather's seat and raced over to her brothers, the three immediately began talking to their cousins.  
  
"Well, it's quite simple really. Videl taught me, and she learnt it from Chi Chi, it's like a motherly way to discover the gender. Some say it's stupid, some say it's quite accurate. All you do is simply ask the child whether it's a boy or a girl, and the more kicks for the certain sex, wins. We got a good responce for a girl. Like 4 to 1 or something?" Becky asked her husband who had stolen her seat. Goten nodded.  
  
"I'm going to be a father again," he sighed as his son curled up in his strong embrace. "Oh the bliss of it all," he added sarcastically as his wife ruffled his hair playfully.  
  
"Hold your tongue, mister." She smiled as her husband placed their slumbering son down on the sofa, and after covering him with a warm blanket, walked over to her.  
  
"Why don't you try and make me," he fired back, with a slight glint of seduction in his eyes.  
  
"I would love to honey," she whispered as Goten's lips came closer, but suddenly pushed him away. "But, just not right now."  
  
The others tried to hold their laughter as Goten crossed his arms in defeat. "Fine have it your way."  
  
"But you need to apologise to your little girl, for that rather unnecessary comment," Becky, who turned out to be just as subborn as her husband laughed as Goten got down on his knees and caressed her buldging tummy with his hand.  
  
"Oh, daddy's sorry, sweetie. I won't say anything like that ever again, I promise. You mean the world to me and I would hate to see you sad. Do you forgive me?" Goten smiled triupantly as he restood his ground. "She kicked a yes."  
  
"Well, I'd better introduce the rest of your family, because you two seem a little busy," Gohan sighed as he watched the couple, Goten was now on his feet and placing butterfly kisses upon his wives lips. The two adults blushed slowly as Becky returned to her seat.  
  
"No need big bro. I think I can handle it. Well, this little guy," Goten lifted his sleeping son back into his arms as he and Becky sat down on the sofa. "This little sleepy head is Tyson, he just turned 2 on the weekend, didn't ya?"  
  
"And those two over there," Becky stated, pointing over to the children resembling each other the most, the girl dressed in a light pink dress and white tights with a small red bow sitting perfectly upon her head, and the boy dressed in baggy jeans and a white shirt. "Those two are the twins, as they are netouriously known," Becky laughed, "nah, they're little angels."  
  
"Sometimes." Gohan mumbled as Becky gave him a playful glare.  
  
"Their names are Xander and Lexi. They're 5, the same age as Carver, but probably more troublesome." Goten placed one arm around his wives shoulders as he finished off the discription.  
  
"I would say a lot more troublesome," Videl mumbled as Goten laughed.  
  
"And your little boys are perfect bundles of love?" Becky asked raising an eyebrow and caressing her little boys hair.  
  
"Well, except for all the wrestling, and late nights, and trouble with eating their vegetables and..." Gohan was interrupted by his wife.  
  
"Okay Gohan, I think they get the point," she added laughing as the whispering children rejoined with their parents.  
  
"Yeah, pretty much..." Gohan finished off as the group laughed.  
  
"Mommy, is it tea time yet?" Little Lexi asked Becky, trying to  
  
scramble onto her knee, but was stopped by her father shaking his head and whispering 'no'.  
  
"Not while mommy's pregnant, okay honey?" Goten whispered pulling his daughter onto his other knee next to her sleeping brother.  
  
"Yes daddy," the child responded obediantly.  
  
"Nearly sweetheart," Becky looked over at Gohan and pleaded something with her eyes.  
  
"Ummm...dad. Since your here and well, you know, it's been a long time, would you like to stay for dinner with us tonight," Gohan asked rather timidly. "If you've got other plans, then that's cool..."  
  
"No," Goku responded rather quickly, "I mean...we'd love to join you. I mean..."  
  
Videl cocked her eyebrow suspisiously as Goku stammered with his words. "I take it you were waiting for an invitation?"  
  
Goku blushed as smiled as Videl laughed. "It's okay Goku, your welcome here any time.."  
  
"We're having a barbeque tonight, we've invited everybody. Seeing as you've been away a lot, maybe it would be good to catch up with everyone.." Becky suggested.  
  
The couple nodded as Becky looked over at Ziarin. Her curiousity got the better of her. "And who are you? I'm afraid we haven't met yet?" She gently extended her hand to the new young lady as Gohan and Goten traded nervous looks.  
  
"Ummm...her?!? Well, she's ummm...she's..." Goku felt Ziarin squeeze his hand and looked over at her. She was smiling gently as Goku allowed her to speak.  
  
"I'm Ziarin," she said quietly and confidently. "I'm Goku's friend that he met out in space."  
  
"Oh well," Videl said, greatly inthrauled by the young woman. "It's nice to have you with us."  
  
"Yes, it's a pleasure to meet you," Becky added as Goten and his brother sighed in relif. They mimed the words thank you to Ziarin, who simply smiled back in return. "I take it, you'll join us for dinner as well?" She beamed as Videl laughed.  
  
"I'd be careful if I were you. Becky's a finatic cook, she likes to experiment a lot. So be cautious about what you eat, I warn you," Gohan's wife laughed again as Becky playfully punched her in the arm.  
  
"I'm not that bad..." She argued playfully as her husband joined in the fun.  
  
"Not bad!?! Please..." Goten turned to his father. "She tried to do mom's chicken curry receipe, and in the end it had us all darting for cold beverages."  
  
"It wasn't that bad," she reassured Goku and Ziarin. "He's just overexhadurating, he does that a lot."  
  
"I'll drink to that," Gohan laughed as his brother shot him a death glare.  
  
"So I added a little more chilli then I was supposed to, you were always complaining before hand that it was too bland. I was just trying to spice it up a little bit. What's wrong with that?" She laughed as he husband cocked an eyebrow at her.  
  
"A lot of things are wrong with that," Goten smirked as Becky rose from her seat.  
  
"Men," she murmered to herself as Videl joined her to grab a glass of scotch. "Anybody care for some?" She asked as several arms shot into the air.  
  
"You know dad," Gohan tried to change the conversation topic. "Goten and Becky live just across the road from us."  
  
"Yes, and don't we just enjoy every moment of it," Goten murmered sarcastically as he was shot death glares from his wife and brother.  
  
"I think it's great," Videl stated, handing Goku and Ziarin a glass. The children were now all out of the room except for Mia and Tyson, who were sleeping on their parents laps.  
  
"You know, it gives the kids an opportunity to be with each other, and bond more closly then if they were living on opposite sides of the country. And a bonus is that babysitting and daycare are taken care of."  
  
"Yeah, no more wasting of money on phone bills for these two to just have a five minute chat," Gohan chuckled as little Mia began wimpering in his arms. The adult semi-saiyan handed the dozing child to his wife who took her out of the room for a feed.  
  
"So, what do you do, Goten? I mean, work wise," Goku asked leaning back on the sofa and taking a sip from his glass. He was starting to feel a little bit more comfortable with his children, the humour in the room from his daughter-in-laws and grandchildren relaxing the once present tension.  
  
"I work in the movie business. I'm a personal trainer and I help do and teach stunt moves. I am an actor, but I've begun slowing down since the birth of the twins, Tyson and the new baby. It's excellent money and a lot of fun, too," Goten wrapped his free arm around his wife who was cuddling their little boy. "Becky here is an artist. She took it up after the birth of the twins, before that she was a model/actress. That's how we met."  
  
"Yeah, they won't let me back on the catwalk. I think it's after you've had a couple of kids that you kinda lose the, ummmm...I don't know, whatever they saw there in the first place. But I'm glad. All the travelling, committment and late nights, it made me really irritable and bored. I'm happy just being a mom and a wife. It's a lot more eventful and fun," the black haired beauty lightly kissed her husband on the lips. They were disturbed by their son who was beginning to squirm in his attempt to awake from his sleep.  
  
"He's getting a little restless honey. You'd better take him outside," Becky nodded and rose from her seat, caring little Tyson.  
  
"You two better get your friends a room. They need a place to stay tonight, unless they've got something planned," Becky turned her attention from Goten and Gohan, who had just taken her seat, to Goku and Ziarin. "Do you guys need a place to stay tonight?"  
  
"If you don't mind," Ziarin gently placed her glass upon the coffee table and stood up.  
  
"I don't think that should be any trouble at all, is that okay Gohan?" Becky shifted her son's weight in her arms, while turning to her brother-in- law.  
  
"No, not at all. Could you get them settled in the first two guest suites?" Becky nodded and lead the couple out of the study.  
  
~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@  
  
"That was a pretty eventful dinner, what do you think Goku?" Ziarin sat at the foot of Goku monster bed and watched as the large saiyan looked out over the balcony to the city below.  
  
"Yeah, it was. I was surprised at how much I had missed during the years," Goku turned around to face his fiancee.  
  
Ziarin smiled as she began to reflect on the incidents of the niht. "Wasn't it cute when Goten had to chase the twins around the table to get them to eat their salad? Oh, and when little Carver begged you to read him a bed time story? That was absolutely gorgeous..."  
  
"Ziarin-" Goku walked over to the young blonde who was grinning at him happily. "Why did you tell my boys that you were just my friend, not my fiancee?"  
  
"Goku honey," Ziarin gently placed her small hand on the saiyan's cheek and looked deeply into his eyes. "I can tell what your feeling. I know deep inside that you're not ready to face this engagement. Just watching you when Gohan spoke to you, I could see that your wife still means a great deal to you, and I have nothing against that. Maybe, just remaining friends for a little longer is the more appropriate thing to do, just until you find your feet again..."  
  
Goku smiled and nodded and pecked her on the cheek. The young woman smiled then headed out of his room to her own one next door. As the grown up saiyan layed his weary head upon the white pillow, he looked out to the stars outside his window. He smiled as the largest star he could see twinkled at him.  
  
"Goodnight Chi Chi. I'm sorry that I didn't know about what had happened sooner. I appologise for all the times that I wasn't there when you needed me. I regret all the pain I put you through, and believe me, if I had the chance to turn back time on what I had done, I would. Please know that I love you. You were my first love and you taught me so much about the importance of life, you'll never know how much it means to me. How much you mean to me. Sweet dreams me angel. I'll never forget you..."  
  
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If enough comments come through for a sequel, I'll consider getting back on the keyboard. But if others want to write their own version of a sequel or a prequel, then be my guest. 


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